Pneumatic selective device.



L. B. DOMAN;

PNEUMAUC SELECTIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7. 1915.

1,258,399. Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET i.

L. B. DOMAN.

PNEUMATIC SELECTIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION mu) AUG-7,1915.

Patented Mar. 5,1918

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 II A L; Si" Si" \W Li l T0 TRHCKER SOLO DUCTS EIZ-- 4% TZZTRRCKER NOTE UUGTS 7'0 TENSION GOVERNOR T0 PUMPING BELLDWS 2&1 $5.5: w l5 L. B. DOIVIAN.

PNEUMATIC SELECTIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.7, 1915.

iatensed Mar. 5 1918.

3 $HEETSSHEET 3- IAIIIIJIIIIIIIZYIWI 114'!!! UNITED STATES PATEN OFFTOE.

LEWIS B. DOMAN, OF EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE- AMPI-IION PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SELECTIVE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Application filed August 7, 1915. Serial N 0. 44,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lewis B. DoMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of East Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Selective Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a pneumatic selective apparatus "for selecting and operat ing any one or more of a relatively large number of pneumatics or translating devices, and is particularly useful in cooperation with the note sheet and tracker bar of a selfplaying musical instrument in causing solo parts of a musical composition to be played with greater emphasis or force than the remaining parts.

It is evident, however, that the selective apparatus may be used in playing different instruments and in many other relations where it is desired to operate a considerable number of pneumatic or other devices one by one or in combinations of two or more.

The broad object is to provide simple, practical and eflicient means for selecting and operating any one or more of a relatively large number of neumatics or translating devices through the medium of a comparatively small number of selective units.

One of the specific objects is to provide a selective apparatus which may be used in connection with a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, such as a piano or other keyboard player, and operated through the medium of a relatively small number of extra tracker ducts and corresponding rows of perforations in the note sheet to cause solo parts to be played with greater force or emphasis than the remaining parts.

Other objects and uses relating to specific elements of the selective apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved selective apparatus as used in connection with a pneumatic self-playing piano or other keyboard instrument, a portion of the note sheet and tracker bar being shown in section.

-Fig. 2- is a transverse sectional view of the selective apparatus taken on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the same apparatus taken in a plane centrally through one of the spring valves showing the means for opening such valve.

Fig. i is an enlarged vertical sectional. view of the pneumatic player action taken on line 4.4, Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional views taken, respectively, in the planes of lines 5-5 and 6-6, Fig. 2.

Figs. 7 and 8 are longitudinal vertical sectional views taken, respectively, in the planes of lines 77, Fig. 2 and 8-8, Fig. 3.

The selective apparatus shown is adapted to be used in connection with a seven octave or eighty-four note piano player and comprises a valve board --1 having a plurality of, in this instance seven, separate valve chambers 2, one for each octave, and an exhaust chamber --3 common to all of the valve chambers and connected to each by an exhaust port 4, each valve chamber being provided with an atmosphere port -5 preferably coaxial with the corresponding exhaust port 4-.

Communication between each valve chamber 2 and the exhaust chamber -3 and also between the valve chamber and atmosphere is controlled by a valve -6 and primary pneumatic 7, each valve being provided with an angular stem -8, pro jecting through the exhaust port l, and normally resting upon its corresponding primary pneumatic.

These primary pneumatics are located within the exhaust chamber -3, one for each of the valves -6-, and together with. said valves and atmosphere ports 5 are located in a strai ht row near one side of the valve chest 1., as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7.

Each of the primary pneumatics -7 is provided with a separate atmosphere duct 9 which may be normally closed and opened at the proper time to cause the corresponding primary pneumatic 7- to operate the valve -8 so as to close the port 5 and open the port 4, thereby establishing communication between the valve chamber -2 and exhaust chamber 3- and producing the same air tension in both chambers, it being understood that any one of the valves may be similarly operated independently of the others, or in combinations of two or more, as may be necessary to produce the desired result,

Each of the valve chambers -2 contains a plurality of primary pneumatics 10--, each communicating with a separate atmosp-here duct 11 which is normally closed but may be opened at the proper time to distend tl e corresponding pneumatic and cause the operation of the plunger l2-.

These plungers -12- rest upon their corresponding pneumatics 10- and are provided with stems l3 which are guided in suitable openings in the upper side of the valve chamber, as shown more clearly in Fig, 3, and may be utilized to operate various kinds of devices, an example of which will be hereinafter described.

The exhaust chamber -3 may be connected by a pipe 1lto any suitable windinducing device or exhaust chamber capable of maintaining an air tension in said chamber normally different from that in the valve chamber so that when any one of the valves 6 is operated by its corresponding pneumatic 7 to open the port i and close the atmosphere port 5-, the air ten sion in the corresponding valve chamber f 2 will instantly be the same as that in the exhaust chamber, but will not effect the operation of any one of the primary pneumatics 10- in that chamber until one or more of such pneumatics is placed in communication with the atmosphere by opening one of the corresponding ducts 11-, whereupon the corresponding plunger or plungers 12 will be instantly operated to produce the desired result, it being understood that each of the valves 6 controls the operation of all of the primary pneumatics -10- in the corresponding valve chamber -2.

The valve chambers 2 extend in parallel lines transversely of the valve chest, and therefore the pneumatics 10 and corresponding plungers 12- of the several chambers are arranged in straight parallel rows transversely of the valve chest and are also arranged in parallel rows lengthwise of the chest, each duct l1 being common to all of the primary pneumatics 10- of that particular lengthwise row.

It is now clear that the number of valve chambers -2 corresponds with the num ber of valves 6, and therefore, each valve 6 controls a group of, in this instance four, of the primary pneumatics 10-. In order to operate any one of the powertransmitting devices 12 of any one-of the several groups, it is necessary to admit atmospheric air to the pneumatic 7- corresponding to that group, and to the primary pneumatic of the particular power-transmit ting device which it is desired to operate. By these operations the valve chamber containing that particular group will be placed in communication with the exhaust chamber 3 by opening the adjacent port -4- and closing the atmosphere port 5, thus lowering the external pressure in the corre sponding chamber -2- below atmospheric pressure so that when atmospheric air is admitted to one or more of the primary pneumatics -l0 in said chamber, it will cause the operation of the corresponding plunger or plungers 12.

In like manner any one or more of the plungers or po'wer-transmitting devices 12 ofany group may be actuated to perform some particular work, or any two or more of the primar pneun'iatics 7 may be brought into simultaneous co-action with any one or more of the rimary pneiiimatics 10 of the correspont ing groups to effect the operation of the corresponding plungers or power-trailemitting devices.

The term power-transmitting member 12 is used in its broadest sense for imparting motion or work to or upon other objects, and when combined in the manner described produces a complete pneumatic selective apparatus capable of operating as many parts as there are groups of primary pneumatics 10 n'iultiplied by the number of pneumatics in each group, or the said devices may be operated in as many conibinations as it is possible to make from the several groups.

The operation of the selective apparatus may be rendered automatic by the use of a tracker bar A and a perforated sheet B- in which case the ducts 9 and 11 are connected to corrcspoinling ducts in the tracker bar to be controlled by perforations 9 and -11 in the tra vclin; sheet or web B'-, it being understood that when no web perforations are registered. with any of the ducts, the exhaust ports -l will remain closed by the valves -hto prevent the operation of any of the primary pneumatics 10-. 'hcn it is desired to operate any one of the plungers 12 the web B- will always be provided with at least two corresponding :lpCl'iLlUfQS --U and -11 arranged so as to register simultaneously with the corresponding ducts 9 and 10-, the period during which the plunger is held in its operative position depending upon the length or continuation of the apertures.

The web --B and tracker bar A.- are shown as connected to a player action C-- of a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, andfor this-purpose the tracker bar -A- is provided with a series of ducts aleading to the action and controlled by note perforations representing a musical composition, and in order that the selective apparatus may be employed in causing the notes of any solo part to be played with greater force of emphasis than those of the remaining parts, the Perforations 9 and 1l which are to emphasize those notes are arranged to register with the corresponding ducts at the same time that the solo perforations Z register with their corresponding note ducts.

As illustrated more clearly in Fig. 4, the player action comprises a Wind chest -15 having a plurality of separate but similar compartments 16- arranged side by side throughout the length of the wind chest, there being one compartment for each of the plungers '12. This wind-chest 15 is also provided with separate air chambers 17 and 18, one above the other, and extending lengthwise of the wind chest, both chambers 17 and 18 being common to all of the compartments 16. The air chamber 17 has means as a pipe 19 for corn nection to a wind-inducing device or pumping bellows for maintaining a relatively high air tension therein, while the chamber 18 is provided with means as a pipe 20 for connection with an expression-controlling device for maintaining a relatively low tension therein when desired, although it is evident that the air tension in the chamber -18 may be varied.

Each of the compartments -16 is connected to the chambers -17 and 18-, respectively, by ports 21 and 22, the port -21 being provided with a valve -23 closing with the air tension in the chamber 17 and adapted to be opened by means of a primary pneumatic -2-l, while the port 22 is provided with a spring valve 25 opening with the air tension in the chamber 18- and adapted to close by the greater air tension in the corresponding compartment -16 when such compartment is connected to the high tension chamber 17 by the opening of the valve -23- in a manner hereinafter described.

Associated with the wind chest 15- is a plurality of, in this instance three, valve shelves 26- arranged one above the other and running lengthwise of the wind chest, each valve shelf being provided with a plurality of exhaust chambers 27 corresponding in number to the number of compartments -16 and connected to their corresponding compartments by passages -28, each valve shelf being also provided with the same number of separate valve chambers 29 having corresponding exhaust ports -30- and ati'nosphere ports 3lleading, respectively, to the corresponding exhaust chambers -27- and to the atmosphere and controlled by corresponding valves 32.

Each of the exhaust chambers -27 con tains a primary pneumatic -33 which is connected by a suitable pipe 8at and passage 35 to one of the note ducts aand serves to operate the corresponding valve 32 to open communication between the exhaust chamber 27 and valve chamber 29.

Associated with each compartment 16 is a group of, in this instance three, striker pneumatics -36 mounted one above the other upon the under sides of the valve shelves 26 and communicating with the valve'chambers 29 of their respective valve shelves through open passages 37, there being as many groups of striker pneumatics as there are compartments 16-, each group corresponding to a different group of three specific notes of the musical. scale.

It, therefore, follows that during the playing of a musical selection as controlled by the note sheet B and tracker ducts -a when a note perforation of the note sheet is registered with any one of the ducts a, atmospheric air will be admitted through the corresponding passages -35- and 34 to the primary pneumatic 33-, thereby inflating said pneumatic to operate the adjacent valve 3:2 for closing the atmosphere port 3land opening the exhaust port 30-, thus establishing direct communication between the exhaust chamber -27 and corresponding striker pneu matic -86 through the valve chamber 29- and passage 37- and causing the operation of the adjacent striker pneumatic to operate the corresponding key of the instrument.-

In like manner, any one or more of the other striker pneumatics may be operated with the same degree of force as determined by the degree of air tension in the chamber 1S-.

It is evident, however, that if the air tension in the chamber 18 were less than the high tension normally existing in the chamber 1'? and any one of the compartments 16 were placed in direct communication with the high tension chamber -17 by the opening of the valve 23-, then the valve -425- would be instantly closed by the inequality of pressure at opposite sides thereof, thus producing substantially the same high tension in each of the exhaust chambers 27- of the particular group associated with that compartment so that when any one of the corresponding val vcs is opened, the adjacent striker meumatic and corresponding key of the instrument will be operated with increased force to emphasize that particular note.

The operation of the primary pneumatics 24; and valves 23 is cont-rolled by the plungers 12 as follows z-The primary pneumatics -2lare connected by separate conduits or pipes 38- to a corresponding number of atmosphere ports 39 in the upper side of the valve chest -1 of the selective apparatus, said ports -39 being normally closed by separate spring valves at0 extending across the upper ends of the stems 13- of the corresponding plunger-s 12 so that when any one of the plunger-s is lifted by the in fiation of its primary pneumatic lO-, the corresponding valve l0 will be lifted from its port 39-, thereby opening said port to the atmosphere and causing the operation of the corresponding primary pneumatic 24- and its valve 23.

It is now clear that if a musical selection is being played under a relatively low air tension or with subdued expression and the note sheet B is provided with the perforations 9 and 11- placed opposite the solo note perforations b, the cor responding striker pneumatics 36- will be operated with greater force than the remaining primary pneumatics as controlled solely by the note perforations, but it is equally evident that other parts of the musical composition may be similarly selected and played with increased force.

The three striker pneumatics of each group correspond to three adjacent keys of an octave on the theory that only one of the three keys of any group or similar group will be played at one and the same time, as otherwise it would produce discord, and for this reason I am able to emphasize any one or more of the notes of an eighty-four note player action by the use of only eleven extra ducts in the tracker bar and corresponding perforations in the note sheet to cooperate therewith,that is the seven ducts 9 and the corresponding pneumatics 7- and valves 4 separately control seven octaves of keys on the keyboard, while the four ducts 11 cooperating with the ducts -9 separately control four groups of three different keys each, in each octave, each duct controlling a similar group in each of the seven octaves, and it, therefore, follows that any of the eighty-four notes may be auto matically emphasized or played with increased force by the use of only eleven of the ducts 9 and 11 and correspond ing perforations-in the note sheet to register therewith simultaneously with the registration of the particular perforation representing the note which isto be emphasized.

After any one of the chambers 16 has been placed in. communication with the high tension chamber 17- in the manner described and the tracker ducts --9 and -11 causing such communication have been closed by the; note sheet, the correspending primary pneumatic -24- controlling its. valve -23 will be instantly cutzo fi from communication with the atmosphere by the closing of the corresponding valve 40-, and at the same time said primary pneumatic will be placed in communication with the hightension chamber 17 through the small bleed hole shown in Fig. 4, and commonly used in primary pneumatics of this character.

This equalization of pressure at both sides of the primary pneumatic allows the, valve to be instantly closed by the suction in the high tension chamber 17, thereby cutting off communication between the two chambers 16 and l7 so that the tension in the chamber -16- will instantly become the same as that in the chamber 18- by the opening of the valve 25- in a manner previously described.

What I claim is:

1. In a pneumatic selective apparatus, the combination of an exhaust chamber and a valve chamber having a connecting port, the valve chamber being provided with an atmosphere port, a valve controlling said ports and normally closing the exhaust port, a primary pneumatic in the exhaust chamher for operating the valve to open the exhaust port and to close the atmosphere port, a group of primary pneumatics in the valve chamber, and web-controlled means for operating the first-named primary pneumatic and any one of the other primary pneumatics simultaneously.

2. In a pneumatic selective apparatus, connected air chambers normally under unequal air tension, a valve normaly closing communication between said chambers, a primary pneumatic in one of the chambers for opening the valve, a group of primary pneumatics in the other chamber, and webcontrolled means for operating the firstnamed primary pneumatic and one of the group pneumatics simultaneously.

3. In combination with a pneumatic action of a self-playing musical instrument, a group of primary pneumatics and separate devices actuated thereby and each con.- trolling a plurality of action-units for modifying the tone of the corresponding notes, an additional primary pneumatic and means actuated thereby for controlling the action of all of the group-pneumatics, and means for actuating the last-named pneumatic and one of the group-pneumatics to cause the tone-modifying operation of the action unit of that group.

4-. In a pneumatic selective apparatus,the combination with connected air chambers normally under unequal air tension, of a single valve normally closing communication between said chambers, a pneumatic actuator for opening the valve to equalize the tension in said chambers, a group of separate pneumatics all externally exposed to the variations of air tension in one of the chambers, and means for selectively admitting air to any pneumatic of the group under a tension difierent from that externally thereto when the valve is opened.

5. In a pneumatic selective apparatus, the

combination of a plurality of air chambers primary pneumatics of any group and the pneumatic actuator corresponding to that group.

6. In a pneumatic selective apparatus, a plurality of groups of primary pneumatics and a corresponding number of controlling devices therefor, one for each group, each controlling device including a primary pneumatic and means for selectively and simultaneously operating any one of the primary pneumatics of the controlling devices and any one of the primary pneumatics of the corresponding group.

7. In a pneumatic selective apparatus, the combination of a plurality of separate air chambers each having a normally open atmosphere port and containing a group of primary pneumatics, an exhaust chamber common to all of the first-named chambers and connected thereto by separate exhaust ports, separate valves controlling said ports and each normally closing communication between one of the first-named chambers and the exhaust chamber, separate pneumatic actuators in the exhaust chamber for operating the valves, and Web-controlled means for selectively admitting atmospheric air to one of the pneumatic actuators and to one of the primary pneumatics of the corresponding group.

S. In combination with a pneumatic action of a self-playing musical instrument having its striker pneumatics divided into a series of groups and a corresponding number of separate air chambers, one for each group, a relatively low air tension chamber common to and normally communicating through separate passages with the group chambers, a relatively high tension air chamber common to and connected through separate ports with said group chambers, Webcontrolled pneumatic means for placing any one or more of the striker pneumatics in communication with the corresponding group chambers for playing a musical composition, an additional web-controlled pneumatic means for placing any one of the group chambers in communication with the high tension chamber for causing the particular pneumatic or pneumatics of that group Which may be in communication With the same group chamber to be operated with increased force.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of July, 1915.

LEWIS B. DOMAN.

Witnesses:

MARGARET M. BROWN, C. W. BLANDING.

Gupta: 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

